Jaina's Locket
by Sacide Darkpath
Summary: Jaina Proudmoore recieves her locket back at the aftermatch of the Lich King's demise. [Oneshot]


It had been done.

Jaina Proudmoore was unsure how she should feel. Of course, she knew what she was supposed to feel – joy, relief, humility, all positivity now that the deed had been done. She stood upon _The Skybreaker,_ one of the Alliance's most powerful gunships, as it flew almost aimlessly around the frozen wasteland below.

She stood at the railings, arms resting against it as her golden hair whipped across her face, but she paid it no mind. The Champions of the Alliance, ordered by their finest elite soldiers of the Argent Crusade, had ventured forth into Icecrown Citadel, the Highlord Fordring at their backs and killed each and every last thing that dwelled in there.

The gunship she stood on too, also got to participate with the action when the Horde airship, _Orgrim's Hammer, _came flying in with the intention of dropping their Horde champions. Naturally, it came to a stalemate, and Muradin Bronzebeard begrudgingly allowed the ship to drop off their passengers at the Highlord's command.

But that was all in the past, now.

The Lich King had been defeated. He now lay dead, the souls he had so fiendishly stole escaped when the Ashbringer shattered Frostmourne.

It brought her no joy.

Her expedition into the Frozen Halls had been a near death experience, and it showed that there was not a single ounce left of Arthas remaining. A frown rose to her lips – she was so sure, so confident there was something left... Uther had to of been wrong – he just had to-

The sound of a gryphon cawing softly broke her out of her thoughts, and she turned to face the golden, warm coloured bird-lion. She smiled sadly at it, before glancing up to it's rider.

Marshal Jacob Alerius, now Champion of the Argent Crusade, hopped off of his mount. His helmet was tucked under his arm; showing his hardened face, creased with experience and sights that Jaina could only imagine in her nightmares. She noted his blonde hair, usually bright, was dank, dirty and dishevelled.

Jaina held her smile. After all, she had bare witness Jacob's change from merely a faction champion with a deep prejudice into a seasoned leader amongst the Crusade. No longer he donned the golden Stormwind Marshal's armour. No longer, bore he that tabard.

He coughed, and saluted. "Lady Proudmoore." he addressed, standing rigid.

"At ease, Commander." she smiled. Jacob relaxed a touch. "Is there anything I can assist with..?"

He raised a hand to motion a moment, and he rummaged through a bag. Slowly, he brought up to light the object. It had a golden, brass chain, with a ruby in the centre. Upon further inspection, inside the ruby, was an engraved image.

Of her.

"No.." she whispered, barely audible. She took a hold of the locket almost numbly, holding it shakily and staring back at the young image of herself. She suddenly found herself choking up, but she willed herself not to cry. Gathering her wits, she gave a fleeting look up at Jacob.

"How did you come by this?" she asked, voice cracking a tad.

Jacob shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly awkward. "It was on the Lich King's person. We was making sure to collect every cursed weapon he had stolen, and well, we noticed this. The Highlord thought it would be best to give it back to you."

"He kept it." she repeated, as if now a broken record. "All this time.. he kept it." She made a motion to move, but almost stumbled back. Quick on his feet, Jacob moved and caught her, steadying her as she used him for support, grasping his silvery golden pauldron.

Her hands shook, the locket along with it, as thousands upon millions of thoughts swarmed through her head. He kept it. Arthas kept her locket, close to his heart as he had done when she first gave it him. Not only did it make her well up that Arthas still loved her, still cared for her, despite what happened at Stratholme and beyond, but-

"I knew it." she stated. "I knew there was.. some, small part of him still left! Trapped.. struggling.. Oh, Arthas!"

Jacob allowed Jaina to have her moment, glancing up and around, inexperienced with dealing of this sort of emotion as finally, after many years, and many mantras, Jaina Proudmoore started to weep.

As tears dripped and flowed down her cheeks, she gave a shaky smile, truly happy. "Perhaps someday, he'll remember who he was. By the Light – he kept it..." she shook her head.

"May he at last find rest, free of that icy blade."

Jacob bobbed his head in agreement, and found it safe now to slowly let go of Jaina. She steadied herself, wiping her eyes and face with her hand, taking the offered handkerchief of the Commander's. The tip of her nose and ears burned red, and still, her uncanny blue eyes glittered with her salty, pent up tears.

"T-Thank you for bringing this back to me. It answers a lot of questions." she started. With a little force, she removed the ruby gem that contained her image, now rendering it a useless, empty locket. But not for long, as she replaced it with enchanted ice that would keep for, quite some time.

With a little magic, she enchanted the locket, handing it back to Jacob. He looked at her, puzzled for a moment.

"My heart could not bear to keep this locket, but I will place an enchantment upon it that you may find useful. Do with it as you please, but do not forget those that assisted you in this monumental feat." she answered, smiling sadly up at him.

He accepted the locket rather hesitantly, but stored it back into his knapsack. Stepping back, he saluted Jaina once more before boarding onto his gryphon and taking off.

Jaina turned back to the view of the desolate wasteland of ice and snow, and she knew, that she could finally feel happy, and at peace.

She only hoped that Arthas could find the same, too.


End file.
